80-year-old trying to park crashes truck into Dollar Tree, hurting 5, Maine police say

Multiple people were injured after a pickup truck crashed through the front entrance of a Dollar Tree in Maine on Monday, Dec. 5, according to local media reports.

An 80-year-old man trying to park his truck instead accelerated, ramming into the discount store in Ellsworth, a coastal town about 80 miles east of Augusta, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Five were injured and hospitalized, though their injuries were not life-threatening, according to the outlet. The driver was not harmed.

Photos taken at the scene show the truck, a Chevrolet Silverado, sitting inside the store, amid a pile of shattered glass.

The incident does not appear to have been caused by a medical emergency or alcohol consumption, according to WABI, citing police.

“I heard screaming and hollering, and I went over and looked, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, there’s a truck in here,’” Evelyn Wehrfritz told the station.

An investigation is underway to determine if mechanical malfunction or human error caused the crash, according to the Associated Press.

The Ellsworth Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 7:00 PM with the headline "80-year-old trying to park crashes truck into Dollar Tree, hurting 5, Maine police say."